Good News
by BuzzCat
Summary: Hermione begins daydreaming during class and is caught out by our own ornery Potions professor. Just a quick one-shot, but a sort of Harry Potter/Peter Pan crossover. Written for the Peter Pan Challenge.


Hermione slowly, silently closed the cover of her book and allowed herself a deep sigh. She glanced down at the book cover, a beautiful brown with gold thread proclaiming the title 'Peter Pan'. It was a book from her childhood, a story read countless times until the pages were soft and the binding almost falling apart. Many times she had fallen asleep over its pages, Peter Pan and his Neverland filling her dreams. Professor Snape's voice suddenly broke in to Hermione's thoughts. She managed to focus on him for a moment, then her eyes slid back into glassy daydreaming. Oh how Hermione wished to return to that dreamland. The deliciously familiar potion fumes combined with Snape's voice and the book in Hermione's lap quickly resulted in Hermione putting her head in her hand and falling asleep.

* * *

Hermione opened her eyes to bright sunlight then instantly shut them again. The smell of the ocean filled her nose and her feet rocked beneath her. A familiar voice filled her ears,

"Say your prayers, Hook!" Wendy's eyes flashed open. _Surely not…_ But it was so. Ron Weasley was swooping through the air. He wore only an outfit of green leaves and held a dagger pointed straight at a figure in a long red cloak and a large hat with a feathery plume. The man in red turned and Hermione was certain she'd faint. Severus Snape stood there, wearing that rich, luxurious coat and those gloriously tight black pants. But he was younger, much younger. Gone were the many worry lines and stiff shoulders. Instead, he was filled with energy and excitement. Hermione blushed as she realized she was enjoying this sight far too much.

Snape had turned to face Ron and shouted,

"Come down and fight me like a man, Pan!" Ron zoomed in and the sound of steel clashing filled the air. Snape had pulled a long sword at just the right moment, managed to both deflect Ron's blow and nick his arm at the same time. Both men glared at each other in hate, and Hermione knew in that moment that both meant to kill the other.

"BOYS!" she shouted. Both turned to look at her. Ron quickly rolled his eyes and looked back, but Snape seemed to be entranced by her. Wendy looked down to discover that she was wearing a thin white nightdress that flowed down to her ankles and her usually unruly hair had somehow become soft curls that cascaded to her waist. Hermione wasn't sure what about this Snape found so amazing, but when Ron pulled his dagger high above his head, Hermione quit caring. She ran at Ron and pounced on him. The two of them sailed over the deck and into the sea. As soon as they hit the water, Ron was quickly pulled under by pale hands belonging to two beautiful women with tails. They left Hermione to her drowning. She kicked and swam up, breaking the surface just in time for Hook to reach down and swing her back up onto the deck. She landed coughing up seawater, her incredibly thin dress sticking to her body in a most inappropriate way. Hook sat down next to her, this time clad in his black pants and a white shirt, having shed the red coat. Her crawled over and pulled Wendy up onto his lap, cradling her head against his shoulder once she had rid herself of all the seawater. He tenderly pushed a curl of hair behind her ear and said,

"Who are you, miss? An angel? Surely they haven't begun manufacturing such beautiful creatures in mundane London." Hermione frowned and opened her mouth. She meant to reply with her name, but instead what came out was,

"My name is Wendy Moira Angela Darling."

"Miss Darling, then. I am Captain James Hook." He said, showing her his hook. Wendy shook his hook,

"Pleased to meet you. I'm afraid, however, that I must return to Hogwarts. I have finals coming up in another two weeks."

"Ah, education. The best place to devote your time. And how would you suggest you return from Neverland to this Hogwarts of yours?" asked Snape with a teasing grin reminiscent of the sneer he would later acquire. Hermione smiled,

"Well, since I'm dreaming, I imagine I'd have to wake up."

"May I call upon you at this Hogwarts, Miss Darling?" asked Snape. Hermione frowned,

"I'm afraid not, since you're a figment of my imagination brought on by Potions class and too much reading." She said. Snape nodded. He leaned in to her ear and whispered,

"Then I shall have to live with only the memory of you. You know that place between sleeping and awake, that place where you can still remember dreaming? That's where I'll always think of you." He pulled back and gently smiled at her. Wendy smiled back,

"I'll miss you terribly when I'm gone."

"But if I'm only a figment of your imagination, you will carry me with you always."

"True enough. Good-bye and hello, Captain Severus Snape." Said Wendy. As she drifted back to reality, Hermione was sure she felt the soft brush of the captain's lips on hers.

* * *

Hermione awakened to find herself face to face with Professor Severus Snape. An incredibly angry Professor Severus Snape.

"Miss Granger, do you intend to make a habit of dreaming in my class?" he said in his deadliest tone. Hermione gulped,

"No, sir."

"I watched your entire dream, Miss Granger. Every last second." He said loudly. Hermione's eyes widened. Just as she was about to start her typical panicked babbling, Snape loudly continued, "Only you would dream of studying. And you need every minute of it you can cram in, what with your _dropping grade_." He swept away to the front of the room and announced,

"Class dismissed." There was a scrambled as all the students rushed to get out before he noticed they were being dismissed ten minutes before the bell rang. Hermione packed her stuff in a daze, ignoring Ron and Harry's worried looks. He had been…nice to her. Kind, even, to spare her the mockery had her true dream been revealed. Perhaps… perhaps he wished to pursue a relationship of the kind she dreamed of? Hermione had always found Professor Snape attractive, what with his black attire and mysterious personality. True, her dream had been a combination of her reading and her surroundings, but there was more truth to it than what she would ever be comfortable admitting. She went through the rest of the day with her eyes glazed, charming her quill to take notes for her. Hermione knew she'd never be able to concentrate now. That night, she dreamt of with her Captain Snape.

The next morning at breakfast, an owl landed in front of Hermione. She'd already received her _Prophet_ and had no reason to expect any letter bearing good news. Hermione slowly opened it.

_ Miss Granger—_

_ You know that place between sleeping and awake, that place where you can still remember dreaming? That's where I'll always think of you._

_With affection,_

_Severus T. Snape_

_P.S.- Detention at 6:30 tomorrow evening. Meet me in my office._

Hermione smiled as she folded the letter up again and slipped it into her pocket. When questioned on its contents, Hermione gave an enigmatic smile and said,

"Good news."


End file.
